The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-30


vain the willy practitioner went about
spreading doubts as to Elisha's having
any money whatever. "Why don't he
buy that organP" he kept saying, until
people began to wonder why indeed.
AS soon as the rumor spread about
that Elisha was childless, and that he
intended leaving his money in equal
shares to his six nieces, they went off
literally like hot cakes. Mawley jun
Tor, who really loved the girl, married
Bessie, and then they were all married
off in patches of two, until the young
est refused to marry at all, saying, with
her finger at her lip, "she preferred to
stay with her father"
In one year all this happened.
Amasa Snow was now successful
man-his debts paid and his practice
increasing. One day the rumor reached
h'm-why had not Elisha paid for that
organ?
He went to Elisha. Its time" he
said, "fOr you to disappear.
I'm very contented here, protested
Elisha, reading the newspapers and
sitting in the hotel. 1t agrees with
me. l don't want to disappear"
lie liked the adulation extended to
him on the ground that he was a mil
lionaire. He played the easy, well-fed,
rich plutocrat revisiting his New Eng
land home to perfection. His acting
was consummate, because it was nature
itself, without mirror being held up
to it. He had just that amount of mar
rowness, of close-fstedness, of saga
cious doubt as to the motives of men
who approached him with schemes for
investment; he acted the millionaire to
perfection, and he never overdid it.
"Amasa, l can't CO." he said
"They think I'm such good man to
make money. They have actually
brought money to me to make more
for them. Yes, I've received over fifty
thousand dollars for investment within
the last month"
Thunder and guns!' exclaimed
Amasa- This is dreadful! l see State
prison yawning before us!''
"It's just what the Grand American
Spread-eagle Mine needs" said Elisha
spreading himself out-"G little mon
ey"
well, take the money and 90, the
l-go! will have nothing to do will
this-nothing!"
Amasa was very angry. Heresolve,
to be responsible for his brother n
longer. He went to his daughters, a
but one married and in happy, well-to
do homes. "Your uncle and l hav
had a row." he said. "He is goin
back to California"
And the organ, the new library, tn
gymnasium
"Well, he is mad about something
He says the town has sighted him
But one thing must be understood
whatever he does-I wash my hands {
him fOrever!'
Elisha did leave few days after
He took away about hundred thou
: sand dollars of widows and orphans
fund, went to San Francisco, put hi
money into various enterprises, pal
the beneticiaries eight per cent. inter
| est, was honest as the day, and died
, few years ago worth great deal {
money, which he left, share and shal
alike, to his brothers six girls, and h
left a thousand dollars for the ne,
l organ.
Amasa still lives-a fairly well-to-d
t old country lawyer-slightly in del
? STILL in East Chesterville. But he
5 the adored grandpapa of twelve of til
dearest little grandchildren, and 1
often says to them, benignly; "Chi
= dren, l have put you all-and myself
A on our feet. Yes, but l had to to
: your mothers an awful lier
| "What was the lie, gandpopper"
, 81 had to say the LATEST man alive
S l had to say the penniless old rascal
< your grandfather's brother, my dear
Y who had robbed me of all had in OF
of his COMPOUNDED mines, the Gre
t American Spread-eagle Gold and 81
e ver-I had to say, and stan to it, tn
he was one of the biggest millionair,
Il on the Pacific coast. But that lie HI
5 put us all on our feet!'-Rjcbard j
}, Roe, in Harper's Weekly.
About Boxing the Ears.